This invention relates to means for tensioning of drums, and, more particularly, to means for indicating the degree of tension applied to each of a plurality of drum head retainers.
Conventional music drums typically consist of two heads (diaphragms or skins) mounted on a cylindrical body (drum shell). This construction allows the vibrations on one head to be transferred through the air inside the drum shell to the other head and cause the other head also to vibrate. The drum heads or skins are held in place over the drum shell by drum hoops or rims.
Tuning screws, generally six or eight in number, pass through apertures in each drum rim and are screwed into fixed brackets which are mounted at uniformly spaced positions around the drum shell. Such an assembly is usually referred to as a drum head retainer. Tuning of the drum is accomplished by turning the screws into brackets. This operation serves to draw the drum rim down over the end of the drum shell, thereby applying tension to the drum skin, which is thus stretched over the end of the drum shell. This tuning operation normally occupies some considerable time, since each individual tuning screw must be individually tuned until the desired pitch or tune is achieved.
Some drum varieties consist of only one head, for example, the bongo, the timpani and some brass drums. Other drum varieties include the kettle drum, the dawul, the side drum, the tenor drum and the snare drum, just to mention a few. The snare drum has wires stretched across one of the heads; these wires beat against the head when it vibrates and produce high frequency fibrations that add more noise to the sound of the drum. All such drums are intended to be improved by the drum head retainer of this invention.
Examples of various drum head retainers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,334,458, 4,206,681, 4,122,747, 2,172,578, 2,092,980, 2,009,061 and 1,995,066. Typically, all such retainers require individual tuning to obtain a desired pitch.
Indicating means have been developed to show the extent of tension of the drum head; an example of such indicating means is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,391,786. Nevertheless, there remains a need for a drum head retainer that is easily constructed, easily tuned and provides an indication of the extent of tension applied to the drum head.